Plant nutrients and their roles under saline soil conditions

Abstract

It is well established that the nutrients of plant play a vital role in all plant processes starting from the emergence, development, productivity, and metabolism reaching to the promotion and protection of plants. These plant nutrients could be in general characterized as macronutrients (e.g., Ca, Mg S, N, K, and P) and micronutrients (i.e., Fe, B, Cu, Mn, Cl, Ni, Mo, Co, and Zn) as well as beneficial elements (e.g., Si, Se, Na, and V). These previous mineral nutrients also could protect crop plants against both abiotic and biotic stresses by enhancing the plant resistance power and regulating the mineral nutritional status. Therefore, any plant nutritional problems (like poor soil fertility, imbalance, and deprived delivery of nutrients) definitely will lead to reduce the global production of foods. Thus, it should protect crop production from different stresses through the appropriate agricultural management. Soil salinity was and still one of these plant stresses. A distinguished role of plant nutrients (e.g., N, K, Se, and Si) in ameliorating soil salinity stress has been reported as well as nano-selenium and nano-silica. Several reports have confirmed the great role of these previous plant nutrients under saline soil conditions. Therefore, this review will focus on the role of selenium and silicon in conventional and nanoforms under saline soil conditions. The phytoremediation of these saline soils and the role of plant nutrients will be also highlighted.